How cute are Cat and Bunny? Born on the same day, they do everything together de bikes, play, eat lunch. "Friends forever!" says Bunny. "Just us!" says Cat. Even very young children may guess what comes next. Their favorite made-up game is interrupted by Quail, who wants to play. Bunny says yes, and yes to all the others who want in. A left-out Cat hides and waits for Bunny to find her, but Bunny is busy. When a kitten shows up, pushing a ball of red string, Cat invents a new made-up game and is only too happy to let Giraffe play, too. Eventually, all the other little ones come, and finally, Bunny. Will Cat let her play? Of course! The characters, either children dressed as animals, or animals with the faces of children, are the most pleasing part of the whimsical colored-pencil artwork, which uses the softest of colors and shapes and is just right for the age group. Don't forget to show kids the adorable endpapers on which the cast frolics. The title page, on which each appears as a swaddled baby (already wearing caps with ears), is delish.

PreS-K Best friends since birth, Cat and Bunny do everything together, from eating lunch to riding bikes. They are inseparable until the day Quail asks to join in their special "Made-Up Game." Bunny cheerfully agrees, but Cat is reluctant. When more and more children join in, Cat slinks away. As she sits under a tree, hoping that Bunny will come and get her, she meets a new frienda real kitten. As they are playing a new Made-Up Game with a ball of yarn, Giraffe asks to play, and so does another friend and another. Soon, all of the childrenincluding Bunnyhave gathered to play, and all strife is forgotten. Dainty pencil and watercolor illustrations on white backgrounds imbue this story with playfulness and light. Though it's not entirely clear why the children are depicted wearing animal suits à la Anne Geddes, their attire adds extra whimsy to the ordinary but entirely relatable tale about the ever-changing nature of friendships. Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY